The iPhone-originality or chic monotony?

Kristen Maloney
With the constant release of new technology, it becomes difficult to distinguish the "want" worthy electronics from the "lust" worthy electronics. No item currently draws the same kind of lust as Apple's iPhone; however, there are many aspects the buyer needs to consider before dropping $400 on this phone.

The iPhone features a touch screen, creating a convenient alternative to the usual buttons provided on most phones; however, this is not the first phone that has featured the touch screen. Phones such as the Motorola Ming and the HTC Touch have had this same feature as well.

The iPhone also contains a digital music player, which can hold up to eight gigabytes of music, while other phones with media players, like the Motorola Razr V3i and the Slvr L7, have a 100-song limit. Although the eight gigabytes is a more reasonable amount of space, the iPhone cannot download music wirelessly without the presence of Wi-Fi, while phones such as the Samsung Upstage and the LG VX8300 conveniently boast this feature.

Another feature of the iPhone is integrated support for Google Maps as well as the Safari browser. The iPhone also has the convenient feature of visual voice mail, which allows the user to choose from a list and go immediately to the voice mail that he would like to hear.

The camera is probably the most disappointing aspect of the iPhone. The phone's two-megapixel camera is above average as far as camera phones go; however, it still fails to exceed the five-megapixel cameras of the Nokia N95, and Sony Ericsson K850. One might expect a better camera for one of the most expensive phones on the market.

A great original feature of the iPhone is it's sensors. The sensors allow the display size to adjust automatically when the iPhone is flipped on its side. The proximity sensor will also turn off the display automatically when the phone is lifted to the ear for a phone call.

As of right now, the iPhone is only offered through AT&T for $300 and $400 with a two-year contract, depending on the memory size. The iPhone has already dropped $400 from its original price; however, many interested parties are deciding if the features are not only worth the initial price of the phone itself, but also worth the rather large monthly bill that accompanies this phone.
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Second iPhone Bricking Lawsuit Seeks Billions

By Michael Santo
Executive Editor, RealTechNews

Filed on the same day as a different iPhone bricking lawsuit, a second lawsuit seeks $1.6 billion in damages, plus punitive and other damages that could push the total to over $2 billion.

Prior to the 1.1.1 software update, Apple released a press release that said, in part:

Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed.

The Paul Holman-Lucy Rivello lawsuit alleges violations of the federal antitrust laws and California unfair business practices laws.

It also points to the 1.1.1 update as a form of digital bullying and that the warning of “irreparable damage” to an iPhone by unlocking was a lie.

In fact, the suit says that “Apple had been busy engineering its software update so that it would disable any Third Party Apps and the SIM card unlocks. On information and belief, the update also was designed to cause damage to the iPhone in the event that any use of non-Apple/AT&T products was detected.”

Besides the financial portions of the suit, it also wants the court to void any agreement between Apple and AT&T judged unlawful and to bar the companies from any similar agreements in the future.

We Say: While I seriously doubt they will get billions, if it will force Apple and AT&T to allow unlocking of the iPhone, it would be worth it. Note that unlike other phones, if you want to travel to say, Europe, you’re SOL — AT&T will not issue you an unlock code.
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iPhone Unbricked, But Apple Still Locked

The penultimate chapter in Apple's sad iBricking saga has begun, with news that "good" hacker Erica Sadun has led a team that's come up with a way to have your iPhone cake and eat it, too. Their "jailbreak" procedure lets users unlock their phone and download third-party apps, without getting bricked. (The final chapter will be written if, and only if, Apple opens the iPhone. Don't hold your breath.)

Meanwhile, the smartest comment on the whole saga comes from the 654th person to post a comment to my original blog post of a week ago, entitled "Apple Users Talking Class-Action Lawsuit Over iPhone Locking."

I can't give the person full credit, since he or she identified themselves only as "Guest." Here's what they wrote:
"How soon Apple forgets. Jobs and Wozniak came to prominence only because the Apple-II they designed back in the mid-'70s was an open platform. The entire PC industry that followed the Apple II came to exist only because the IBM (NYSE: IBM) PC was an open platform.

So, now Grandpa Jobs wants a closed iPhone, and he has his company spending considerable resources fending off the hackers who open it up in a futile battle. In offense/defense, the offense has always had the advantage as it only needs to find a single remaining weakness to exploit, whereas the defense has to protect from all possible vulnerabilities.

Soon enough, Jobs will throw in the towel and so will AT&T (NYSE: T). The iPhone will be open and, amusingly, it will sell much more than it does now, precisely because it will be open. But that, too, will be in the short term. For the same reason that Apple lost to the PC world, namely, price and open architecture, the iPhone will lose to the open architecture world of the mighty competition (Nokia (NYSE: NOK), Motorola (NYSE: MOT), Ericsson, LG, etc.) which already is coming up with iPhone look-alikes that have much more functionality and are open architectures. And soon the iPhone will be of historical only interest.

And those who write sanctimonious prose here about the virtues of 'using the iPhone the way Apple intended it and worshiping at the altar of the EULA' will be the fools that have been left holding the bag and no money in their pockets."
Nokia is already touting its openness as an alternative to Apple's control-freak business model. And Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has introduced a bunch of iPhone lookalikes, made by LG.
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Google 'ready to take on Apple iPhone next year'

Google's share price last week broke through the $600 (£300) ceiling and looks set to rise even higher, with a strong set of results expected this week and the company poised to enter lucrative new markets.

Not content with dominating the internet, the search giant is now believed to be planning to take the mobile communications market by storm. Analysts at Lehman Brothers predict that when it unveils its third-quarter results on Thursday, Google's revenues will rise 8.6 per cent quarter-on-quarter to $2.98bn with earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) of $1.8bn. For the full year 2007, Lehman predicts a 58 per cent year-on-year increase in turnover to $11.56bn with Ebitda of $7.03bn, representing a year-on-year rise of over 52 per cent. The investment bank has raised its target price for Google shares to $714.

Lehman analyst Douglas Anmuth believes that Google will launch a mobile phone in February next year that will be similar to the recently launched Apple iPhone in that it will have "an oversized screen perhaps around 3in diagonal and with touch display" plus WiFi capability. Google's main differentiator will be on price – its phone is expected to sell at a fraction of the $400 iPhone.

According to Mr Anmuth, the device will be a simple "plain vanilla" smartphone that can be manufactured for $120-$160. But he adds: "We believe a Google phone could be marketed at a price point below $100, and potentially even be free."

The incentive for Google to offer a free phone is the online advertising revenue the company could generate with an internet-enabled mobile device. Lehman Brothers also thinks it probable that Google will follow in Apple's steps by adopting a revenue-sharing model with the carriers, and predicts that Orange will be the most likely mobile operator partner for Google in Europe.

In the US, Lehman sees Sprint and T-Mobile as more suitable partners than AT&T and Verizon. It is thought Google might bid for a slice of the spectrum in the US next year. The Taiwan-based HTC is believed to have already built a prototype mobile phone for Google.

According to Lehman, Google is building a Linux-based mobile operating system which is likely to include Google applications such as a search facility, maps, Gmail, Google Talk and Calendar.

But not all analysts agree that Google is committed to making its own mobile phone handsets. US-based investment bank Piper Jaffray says: "Google is likely developing a mobile operating system, but it is unlikely that it will begin manufacturing phone hardware."

According to Piper Jaffray, Google's mobile phone operating system will compete directly with Microsoft's Windows Mobile system, and could be unveiled before the end of this month.

Google has been making acquisitions that point to a mobile phone strategy. In 2005, it acquired Android, a software development company specialising in mobile operating systems that highlight the location of the user.

But Google still has a challenge ahead in the internet video space, where it is currently facing considerable criticism from the advertising industry concerning some of the content being displayed on the YouTube social networking website. According to Marketing magazine, some of the UK's biggest digital planning and buying specialists have rounded on Google's plans to charge for ads on the site.

Advertisers are reported to be wary of placing their brands against content that may include clips from criminal gangs or other unsavoury sources. A Google spokesman said the company is responding to concerns by allowing users to flag content they feel may be inappropriate.
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Intel's shows its iPhone clone

After famously winning Apple's computer business, Intel appears to have its sights set on providing the powerplant for the iPhone and its descendants.
During this morning's session on mobile Internet devices, Intel's senior veep for ultra mobility Anand Chandrasekher produced a prototype device which looked like a stretch limo version of the iPhone which he spruiked as "mostly all screen, you can read it very nicely; it's very slim, very thin."
"I love the iPhone" admitted Chandrasekher. "Apple is a bastion of innovation in their own right, and we are an innovator in our own right. Hopefully sometime in the future our paths may meet".
The slim silver non-iPhone was based on the Moorestown platform, which is the successor to the Menlow UMPC platform (built around the Silverthorne CPU) due in mid-2008. While Chandrasekher played coy with specific details on Moorestown, he said the goal was a 10x reduction in power usage by the time the system shipped in 2009-2010. A slide on Moorestown indicated it would be a ‘system on a chip' which included a 45nm core, graphics and memory controller on a single die - all of which would meet his promise that Moorestown would halve the size and power consumption of mobile Internet devices.

Multicore is also part of the MID's future, says Chandrasekher. "The Internet is not going any less complex" he said, harking back to Intel's mantra of the Internet - and especially social networking, which he claimed is responsible for 25% of traffic on the Internet today - being the driver for ultra-mobile devices.

"The Internet is only getting more complex, more dynamic. And as it moves to a handheld environment it will demand more performance. We're not short on performance today, we are actually delivering what is needed over the next several years. It's a matter of balancing power, cost and performance. When all of those hit the sweet zone, of course we'll offer multi-core."

In addition to heavily spruiking the benefits of Intel's IA silicon architecture over the ARM chips that dominate the mobile market (including the iPhone, which runs a Samsung ARM processor), this morning's presentation noticeably relegated Microsoft to a single token PowerPoint slide whereas key executives from Canonical and Adobe both got a walk-on spot to spin their ultra-mobile wares.
Live demonstrations featured a Compal device unit with WiMAX running Canonical's Ubuntu for Mobile Internet Devices distro, and an Asus UMPC running a beta of Adobe Media Player, which uses Adobe's AIR offline run-time environment to play music and video offered through online ‘channels'.

David Flynn is attending IDF San Francisco 2007 as a guest of Intel Australia
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The iPhone, Steve Jobs and an army of blind hackers

Posted by Chris Soghoian
With Steve Jobs' recent announcement of his intention to fight off the independent iPhone developers, the question that must be asked is how will Apple try to defeat the hackers: Frequent and disruptive software updates, or lawsuits? Will Apple risk losing its most frequently (ab)used legal tool, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, to try to punish the developers of the iPhone unlocking tools?

The wait is over. After being teased over the past few weeks with rumors that Apple would turn a blind eye to iPhone hacking or *gasp* even encourage it, the news is in and it ain't good for the hackers.

At the official U.K. launch of the iPhone Tuesday, CEO Steve Jobs made it clear that Apple will fight attempts to use the popular device on unauthorized networks. "It's a cat-and-mouse game," said Jobs. "We try to stay ahead. People will try to break in, and it's our job to stop them breaking in."


anySIM iPhone unlocker
(Credit: iPhone Dev Team/Hackintosh)

For the loose-knit community of iPhone developers, the last few months have been an around-the-clock hacking session. As a result, programmers have released a plethora of applications. Some, including an instant-messaging tool, a general purpose application installer and even a Nintendo game emulator, can be seen simply as developers releasing applications that Apple just didn't get around to writing itself. Other hacks, such as the much hyped iPhone Dev Team's anySIM unlocking tool, or the numerous free-ringtone tutorials that have been floating around the Net, can be more accurately described as a developer-lead attack upon Apple's revenue streams.
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Great Apple iPhone Software

By: Raymond Lam
There is some great software for the Apple iPhone. From games to calendar and planning applications, great iPhone software is readily available. Some of this iPhone software, however, stands out from the rest.

New York on Tap

New York on Tap iPhone software is an application designed to help you in finding the best bars in New York City while you’re on the go. Even as a tourist, you can always know where the nearest bar is with this application. You can search for bars by name, cross-street, or even by what’s close to the bar you’re currently at. When you night is over, New York on Tap will also help you find the subway nearest you to get you home.

Mobile Home

The Edge network is usually found as a little too sluggish for news reading. The Mobile Home iPhone software gives you all the headlines in text format for quick loading and viewing of stories. Google News, Slashdot, and many more are available for rapid reading.

iPhone Dailymotion

Dailymotion, which is a European competitor to YouTube, has come up with some excellent iPhone software that brings video content to the iPhone all via the Safari browser. The iPhone-friendly portal page looks very much like the YouTube application, and when a video is selected, a small information page pops up with the thumbnail for the video on the upper-left corner. There’s a little play icon on the thumbnail, and when that is tapped, the video expands to full size and looks nearly identical to a video from the iPod video player. This includes nearly the same view size and the same controls.

iPhoneMiles

If you do very much driving for your job, you probably have some system for recording miles that involves writing down your mileage regularly. The only problem you encounter is the fact that those little notepads and papers get lost. Nobody enjoys frantically searching through their glove box when it comes time to report their travel expenses. The iPhoneMiles iPhone software lets you record your mileage easily with touch controls that let you list the job, the distance, the date, and more.

Fluther

Ever had a question that you just couldn’t find the answer to? Have you ever had something that you would like many others’ opinion on? The Fluther iPhone software lets you put your question to the masses at the Fluther.com website. Whether you want third-party advice on where to buy clothing or the best recipes for cookies, someone out there probably has the answers you need. You’ll need to register at Fluther.com to start asking and reading the latest questions.
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Apple Itunes

By: desmondchui
Despite Apple's best efforts to thwart users creating iTunes ringtones for iPhones, a workaround has already been found and posted to the internet.

A method of using iTunes to create ringtones for the iPhone using songs not purchased from the iTunes Store was first posted by Simplyfreeiphone.co.uk on Friday. Users confirmed after installing iTunes 7.4.1 over the weekend that the method no longer worked.

However, a Simplyfreeiphone.co.uk post on Saturday details a workaround for the iTunes update, again allowing the free ringtones to be synced to the iPhone.

When Apple first announced the ability for users to create custom ringtones earlier this week, it was meant only for songs purchased from the iTunes Store. Users would have to pay an additional 99¢ for the ringtone.

Third-party applications such as Ambrosia Software's iToner have been updated to work with iTunes 7.4.1 and is available from the company's
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The iPhone - A Complete Media Center In Your Pocket

At prices that ranged from $499.00 to $599.00 Apple's new iPhone hit the market on June 29th. The launch was without a doubt an incredible success, with lines around the corner all over the United States waiting patiently (sometimes) for the latest and greatest high tech toy. The iPhone however has turned out to be more tool than toy. Apple is now changing the way cell phones and cell phone accessories are being used. And what is Apple turning them into? A powerful media and communications device that can fit in your pocket.

Apple has been positioned as the friend of the people, standing against the corporate might of an unforgiving Microsoft. While this stance is more a marketing campaign than a mission statement, Apple is a strong competitor and is certainly a viable alternative to the traditional PC product. In the 80's the Macintosh stood against the PC, and succeeded in the educational and creative community (the niche markets Apple wanted to begin with). Now the iPhone has will take Apple into the bleeding edge of technology, and it appears they are leading the charge.

Specifically the iPhone is:

Operating System

• OS X

Video

• Video formats supported: H.264 video, up to 1.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Low-Complexity version of the H.264 Baseline Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; H.264 video, up to 768 Kbps, 320 by 240 pixels, 30 frames per second, Baseline Profile up to Level 1.3 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats

Wireless Data

• Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
• EDGE

Display

• 480-by-320-pixel resolution at 160 dpi
• 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen multi-touch display
• Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Storage

• 4GB or 8GB flash drive1

Camera

• 2.0 megapixels

Audio

• Audio formats supported: AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 1, 2, and 3), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

• Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

With a price tag between $499.00 and $599.00 the iPhone isn't cheap. The vast majority of the marketplace will be unable or unwilling to pay this amount for a "phone". As the word gets out however the market will slowly become aware that although this is called an "iPhone", it isn't a phone. This is something new altogether, and from a holistic standpoint the price is right.

Now in a single device you can listen to your favorite song, call your friends, read a web page, send an email, or watch a movie. Yes, watch a movie. Those stats certainly don't read like a phone. But what about the traditional problems that are inherent with traditional PDAs or other wireless Internet devices such as tiny keypads and endless function screens, or the stylus that would never actually input the correct information? All gone. The iPhone is accessed via a touch screen with a virtual keypad that changes depending on the function the user is attempting to access. So it looks like a phone when you are making a call, and it looks like a keyboard when you access the Internet or send an email. The iPhone uses the Safari browser, so current Apple users will already be familiar with the look and feel. Also, don't worry about spelling errors in your email as the iPhone will auto-correct just like you are accustomed too.
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Apple iPhone Bridges Cellular and Land Line Divide

The cellular phone has single-handedly changed the way that we communicate with the world. As more and more people are losing their traditional telephone service in favor of their mobile phone, the next trend in the telecommunications world is the development of Fixed to Mobile Convergence (FMC), which gives you the ability to switch seamlessly from your cellular network to a land line network infrastructure, and back again. It is expected that by the year 2010 the idea of Fixed Mobile Convergence will be common in the telecommunications industry.

With the slipping revenues shared by the traditional telephone companies, combined with the increasing number of people using IP networks to carry date and voice, are creating a model that is transitioning from long distance call, to a model based on a calling person. This may sound confusing but in the end this means the inevitable end of long distance charges when you make a phone call.

With FMC a user would be able to take advantage of the cellular networks outside without ever having to sacrifice connectivity for better mobility. When a user enters an indoor environment which is a place where many cell phone calls get dropped, a converged handset will detect the presence of a wireless network and automatically switches to a lower frequency, keeping the call quality up throughout the change. The key that makes FMC successful is the handset. There are several different models that you can purchase that have the ability to switch from cellular to WiFi networks. As they become more popular the prices begin to decrease, and also are dependant on the types of plans offered by the carrier.

When it was announced that Apple would be releasing their own multi-functional cellular device, it was said that the carrier who would be offering service for the new phone would be Cingular Communications which is now AT&T Wireless. They will likely be the implementers of cellular to WiFi calling plans. One of these current examples of a recently released fixed to mobile convergence is the AT&T Unity Plan. This plan allows subscribers to call anyone nationwide who is also a subscriber of AT&T wireless or wire line free of charge and without restriction.

The Apple iPhone will run on the most recent MAC operating system for the Internet and video functions, and also comes equipped with a digital camera, the ability to run Google maps, texting, conference calling, as well as multimedia messaging. The iPhone will also have Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity to ensure that you are fully connected at all times. I have yet to mention one of the best parts about the iPhone, it is also a video iPod. Apple is going to have a release date for the iPhone in June, 2007. Be sure to be one of the first to get yours at a store near you. The 4GB version will cost you $499 and for double the memory at 8GB it will cost you $599. Be the envy of all of your friends and have the coolest new mobile device that money can buy.
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Apple iPhone: It's About Time

Apple iPhone is no longer a mystical rumor; it exists, and it’s the rage for all those techie consumers out there. The Apple iPhone is expected to become available from Apple and Cingular in June ‘07 for $499 for the 4GB and $599 for the 8GB version. It’s a fully multi-tasking communications device that allows the user to read a web page while downloading email in the background over Wi-Fi or EDGE. Other appealing features are its slim profile and lack of keys (only three hard keys), that make this phone the ultimate fashion accessory.

The cost of the iPhone is remarkably high, but it is to be expected with any market entrance. Overtime prices will lower much the same way that the Motorola RAZR did. As aforementioned, an 8-gigabyte model will cost $599 and a 4-gigabyte model $499. Regardless of the high price, the image of this product is so high that it will be widely accepted by consumers willing to pay the price.

Features for Apple's iPhone include HTML email (IMAP, POP3), with Safari as the browser, 2 separated batteries, flash memory, slide out keyboard, and touch screen on the outside. Utilizing a familiar graphic interface, and other user centric features different from most mobile phones the launch of the iPhone today is reminiscent of January 1984 when Apple first introduced their Macintosh personal computer. There is no doubt that Apple will follow their success with the iPod by delivering a compelling, relevant, and user friendly product.

Ultimately, the Apple iPhone is a combination of three different products: a cell phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls and an Internet communications device. The iPhone will revolutionize the cell phone industry posing threats to others who have been in the industry for ages. The good news for consumers is that Apple has raised the bar which promises better products from all manufacturers.
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iPhone: The Phone of the Future

The new Apple iPhone offers features that have never been seen before. This phone is also revolutionary because it contains a built-in iPod.
The iPhone combines many abilities into one smartly packaged device. The iPhone features a camera phone, a multimedia player, mobile telephone, and Internet services (such as e-mail, text messaging, web browsing).
The iPhone features the “most revolutionary user interface since the mouse.” It has a large multi-touch display and has entirely new software that fully utilizes the design of the iPhone.
The iPhone features an intelligent keyboard that can fix mistakes as the user is typing. The iPhone offers a system for text messaging that has never been seen before. Its keyboard allows for typing that cannot be accomplished on the small plastic keyboards on other phones.
The iPhone comes equipped with OS X—the operating system that comes on Macintosh computers. The iPhone is so advanced that is can function as a small computer. The iPhone can browse the web like a computer, allowing its user to see headlines, to see stock market quotes, or do any of the other activities that a web browser can accomplish.
The iPhone is also a widescreen iPod. The iPhone allows its user to bring with them their music collection that can be accessed by the touch of a button. This device can also play movies and television shows. The iPhone is an entertainment machine in a small, portable package that is easy to carry and even easier to use.
The iPhone is the phone of the future. It combines the functions of a computer and the ease of a telephone. The iPhone also has amazing entertainment ability, playing music, movies, and more. The iPhone is also the tool of a business professional, allowing Internet surfing and advanced call features. The iPhone also has the capability to find directions and maps, so that the user is never lost, not to mention never bored.
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